Squeeze printer with zero elimination

ABSTRACT

The printing sectors of a data printing mechanism are provided with arcuate outwardly movable type sections which are flexed by an elongate printing member to squeeze selected type characters against a paper tape and platen. The printing member is also previously moved endwise under control of sensing means which is arrested by the sector containing the highermost significant digit to thus locate an actuating part of the printing member under only those sectors which contain the highermost significant digit and all lower order digits and/or zeros.

United States Patent 1 1 1111 3,878,777 Clary Apr. 22, 1975 1 SQUEEZE PRINTER WITH ZERO 3,637,987 I 1/1972 Ravch 101/93 R x ELIMINATION 3,693,871 9/1972 Thevis 101/93 R X lnventor: John G. Clary, Pasadena, Calif.

Addmaster Corporation, San Gabriel, Calif.

Nov. 23, 1973 Assignee:

Filed:

Appl. No.:

US. Cl. l0l/93.28; 101/60.28; 101/99 Int. Cl B4lj l/28 Field of Search 101/9'3 R, 93 C, 95, 99,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Schenk 235/6028 Capellaro et al 101/93 R Clary 101/93 R Primary Examiner-Edgar S. Burr Assistant Examiner-Edward M. Coven Attorney, Agent, or FirmFred N. Schwend [57] ABSTRACT The printing sectors of a data printing mechanism are provided with arcuate outwardly movable type sections which are flexed by an elongate printing member to squeeze selected type characters against a paper tape and platen. The printing member is also previously moved endwise under control of sensing means which is arrested by the sector containing the higher most significant digit to thus locate an actuating part of the printing member under only those sectors which contain the highermost significant digit and all lower order digits and/or zeros.

4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEU APR 2 2 I975 SHZU 1 [IF 2 SQUEEZE PRINTER WITH ZERO ELIMINATION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to data printers and has particular reference to squeeze type printers embodying zero elimination means for suppressing printing of those zeros which are in denominational orders of higher value than that containing the highermost significant digit.

2. Description of the Prior Art In my co-pending US. Patent Application Ser. No. 414,089, filed Nov. 8, 1973, and entitled SQUEEZE PRINTER, I have disclosed and claimed a novel data printer of the squeeze type in which pivoted type seetors are provided having radially flexible type character sections thereon. A printing bar extends through openings in the various sectors adjacent a print line and is movable radially outwardly to flex' the type character sections to first properly align the type characters and to thereafter imprint aligned type characters against a paper strip extending under a printing platen. Such printer is simpler and much quieter in operation than a hammer type printer wherein individual hammers are impacted against the paper. An important feature of this printer is that it can be made small and compact since the printing bar is located within the confines of the sectors and thus requires only the printing platen to be located outside such sectors. However, the printer does not provide for suppression of printing of insignificant zeros, i.e.. those zeros located in decimal orders of higher denominational value than the order containing the highermost significant digit, while enabling printing of all digits and zeros in all lower denominational or-' ders.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation view of a data printer embodying one form of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 2--2 of FIG. I.

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation view illustrating the drive mechanism for the printing sectors and printing bar.

FIG. 4 is a sectional detail view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a sectional elevation view of a data printer embodying a second form of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional elevation view of the platen shifting mechanism.

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 4 in particular, the machine in which the invention is embodied is the well known and commercially available ADDMASTER adding machine which is disclosed basically in the R. E. Busch US. Pat. No. 3,113,719, issued on Dec. 10, 1963; the H. L. Clary et al US. Pat. No. 3,l32,582, issued on May 12, 1964 and the J. G. Clary US. Pat. No. 3,621,774, issued on Nov. 23, 1971. Such patents are incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and reference may be had thereto for disclosure of operating instrumentalities of the machine not shown herein. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to incorporation in such machine.

Different functions of the machine, such as addition and subtraction operations, are effected by depressing certain function control keys, not shown, each effective to cause a cycle of operation of the machine during which time a main shaft 1 l is rotated clockwise through one complete revolution.

Amounts are entered into the machine through 10 amount keys, not shown, ranging in value from zero to nine. The amount keys are effective to set corresponding ones of columns of stop pins 12 carried by a pin carriage 13, there being a plurality of such pin columns arranged side-by-side on the carriage in a well known manner. Upon depression of an amount key to set a corresponding stop pin 12, the carriage 13 is yieldably advanced transversely of the machine along a guide rod 14 and a guide channel 15 to locate the set stop pin in position to be engaged by a shoulder 16 on a plastic printing sector 17.

A plurality of such sectors 17 are pivotally mounted independent of each other on a rockable support shaft 18 rotatably mounted in bearings 20, FIG. 2, supported by spaced printer side frames 21 and 22. The sectors 17 are maintained in equally spaced apart distances equal to the spacing between the columns of stop pins 12.

Each sector 17 has a somewhat flexible arcuate type section 23 which is integrally connected to the main body of the sector by end portions 24 and 25 of greater flexibility than that of the main part of the section 23. Printing type characters 26 progressing in value from a zero type character 26a are spaced along the length of each type section 23. 7

Means are provided to yieldably advance the various type sectors 17 clockwise from their illustrated home positions during the first half of a machine cycle until theyare differentially arrested in positions presenting selected type characters at a printing line 28 located directly below a printing platen 30 of relatively soft elastomeric material. The latter is supported in a stationary position on a rod 31 secured between the side frames 21 and 22. After the printing impression, the sectors 17 are retracted counterclockwise during the latter half of a machine cycle to their home positions. For the purpose of advancing and retracting the sectors 17, the drive shaft 11 carries a cam 32 which oscillates a cam follower bail 33 fulcrummed at 34 and carrying a gear sector 35 which is in mesh with both a gear 36 and second gear sector 37 fixed on the support shaft 18.

Cam arms 38 fastened to the shaft 18 carry the opposite ends of a bail rod 40 which extends through openings 41 in the sectors 17 and frictionally engages spring tails 42 formed integrally with the sectors. Thus, as the cam 32 transmits a clockwise movement to the shaft 18 during the first half of a machine cycle, the bail rod 40 will yieldably drive the various sectors 17 clockwise until arrested by different stop pins 12 during item entry operations.

The sectors 17 also form differential actuators for an accumulator generally indicated at 19, and during totaling and sub-totaling operations the latter is effective to differentially arrest. the sectors in a well known manner.

A paper record strip 42 is guided through a guide chute 43 and over a printing ribbon 44 extending along the printing line 28. The leading edge of the strip 42 is deflected upwardly by a stationary paper tear-off member 45.

According to the present invention, a cylindrical printing bar 46 extends through openings 49 in the sectors l7 and is guided for vertical movement radially of the shaft 18 in guide slots 47, FIG. 3, formed in the side plates 21 and 22. The bar 46 is also shiftable lengthwise in the slots 47 and has a slotted head 48 which straddles an ear 50, see also FIG. 4, formed on a U-shaped slide 51 which is slidable endwise in bearings formed in the side plates 21 and 22. The slide 51 has a sensing tip 52 which is normally aligned with openings 53 in the sectors 17 when the latter are in their zero or home positions shown in FIG. 1.

It will benoted that the printing bar 46 has a large diameter section 46a and a small diameter section 461) witha shoulder 55 therebetween which is substantially aligned with the sensing tip 52.

The slide 51 and bar 46 are normally held in their left hand positions shown in FIG. 2 by a tension spring 56 tensioned between the side plate 21 and part of slide 51. In this position, the large diameter section 46a of bar 46 is located under the type sections 23 of all of the sectors 17.

The gear 36, FIG. 3, is attached to a pulley 57 to which one end of a flexible cord 58 is attached. The cord is guided over a suitable guide 60 and is attached at its opposite end to a tension spring 61, FIG. 2, which, in turn, is attached at 62 to the slide 51. Spring 61 has greater strength than spring 56 and during the first part of a machine cycle the pulley 57 is rotated clockwise to yieldably pull the slide 51 and bar 46 to the right against the action of spring 56. The sensing tip 52 will pass through the openings 53 of those left hand sectors 17 which remain in their zero registering positions and will strike against the side of the first sector 17 which has been displaced from its illustrated position to register the highermost significant digit. In doing so, the

' large diameter section 46a will be aligned with the sectors registering the highermost significant digit and all lower order digits and/or zeros. Subsequently, cam formations 69 on the cam levers 38 will cam the bar 46 upwardly, causing the large diameter section 46a only to engage in detent notches 161 formed in the type sections 23. Such notches 161 are in radial alignment with respective ones of the type characters 26 and thus, the section 46a first accurately aligns the type characters 26 of the overlying type sections 23 and thereafter flexes such aligned type sections outwardly causing the type characters to press upwardly against the printing ribbon 44, paper tape 42 and platen 30 so as to transfer an imprint of such type characters onto the paper tape 42. The small diameter section 46b of the bar 46, however, is ineffective to flex the overlying type sections 23 sufficiently to cause an imprint.

Following the printing impression, the cam follower 33 is returned clockwise, causing the bail rod 40 to return the various digitized printing sectors 17 to their home positions, to allow the printing bar 46 to retract downwardly into the slots 47, and to permit spring 56 to retract the slide 51 and printing bar 46 to their normal positions shown in FIG. 2.

In order to enable viewing of the last printed line of typed characters by the operator, the paper strip is preferably advanced approximately three line spaces by a paper feed roller 79 and cooperating pressure ball 80 following a printing operation so as to advance such printed line above the tear-off bar 45. In the next cycle, the strip is retracted two line spaces prior to the printing operation. Mechanism for advancing and retracting the paper in the above manner is well known in the art. For example, the R. E. Busch US. Pat. No. 3,749,221, issued on July 31, I973 discloses and claims such a paper feeding mechanism.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SECOND EMBODIMENT FIGS. 5 to 7 illustrate a modified form of the invention in which the slide 51 of FIG. 2 is omitted. In this case, sectors 17 are differentially advanced from their home positions and returned in a manner similar to seetors 17 by a bail rod 40'. A printing bar 46 is provided having a large diameter section 46a and a small diameter section 46b. A thin sensing flange 65 is formed intermediate the large and small diameter sections of the bar 46' and is of larger diameter than the larger diameter section 46a.

The opening 47 in each sector 17 is formed with an enlarged section 67 which, when the sector is in its illustrated home or zero position, is in alignment with the bar 46a so that the bar and flange 65 can readily pass therethrough. However, the edge 68 of the opening 47' is formed so that when the sector 17 is moved out of its zero position to any of its digit registering positions, the edge 68 will 'move into blocking relation with the flange 65 and thus limit movement of the printing bar 46.

A tension spring 70 extends between the bar 46 and a suitable frame part, not shown, to urge the bar 46 to the right of its initial position shown in FIG. 7. However, the bar 46' is normally held in its illustrated leftmost position by a cable 71 which is reeved over a pulley,72 rotatably mounted on a bracket 73 extending from the frame plate 21. The cable 71 is wrapped over a pulley, not shown, similar to the pulley 57 of FIG. 3 which is operable by the drive mechanism to release 'the cable to the action of spring 70 during clockwise swinging of the bail rod 40 to differentially advance the sectors 17. Thus, the bar 46 will move to the right in FIG. 7 until the sensing flange 65 engages the edge 68 of the leftmost sector 17 which has been advanced to register the highermost significant digit to be printed.

The platen 30, in this case, is movable fore and aft of the printer and for this purpose its support rod 31' is guided for movement along curved guide slots 74, FIG. 6, formed in the side plates 21' and 22'. Likewise, the tear-off bar 45 is movable along with the platen 35. Pins 75 and 76 extending from the outer ends of the tear-off bar 45 are guided along slots 77 formed in the side plates 21' and 22.

The tear-off bar 45 is connected by links, one of which is shown at 79, to the platen rod 31' and the latter, in turn, is connected by links, one of which is shown at 178, to cam follower levers 80 which are fulcrummed at 81 and held in cooperative engagement with earns 82 on the main drive shaft 11 by tension springs 83.

Normally, when the machine is in full cycle position, the platen 30' is located in its full line position as shown in FIG. 5 wherein the last printed line of type characters is visible over the top of the tear-off bar 45. During the first half of a machine cycle and while the sectors 17' are being differentially advanced to digit registering positions, the cam 82 will cause forward movement of the platen to its dot-dash line position thereby in effect retracting the last printed amount below the tear-off bar 45' and just beyond the printing line indicated at 28. Following the printing operation and during retraction of digitized sectors 17 toward their home positions, the platen 30 is retracted to its full line position under control of the cam 82. in this case, the paper strip 42' will be merely advanced one increment by a suitable pawl and ratchet mechanism, similar to that shown in the aforementioned US. Pat. No. 3,132,582, resulting in the last printed amount being uncovered above the tear-off bar 45.

I claim:

1. A data printer comprising a plurality of sectors arranged side-by-side and independently pivotal about a common axis,

arcuate sections carried by said sectors,

said arcuate sections being yieldable outwardly from said axis,

type characters spaced along the outer periphery of each of said arcuate sections,

a printing platen,

means for guiding a record medium intermediate said printing platen and said sections,

means for differentially advancing one or more of said sectors about said axis from initial positions whereby to present certain of said type characters to a printing line,

an elongate printing member extending under said arcuate sections and parallel to said axis,

said printing member having an actuating portion normally under all of said arcuate sections,

said printing member being movable outwardly from said axis through a printing stroke whereby to cause said actuating portion to move overlying ones of said sections outwardly into printing engagement with said record medium,

means for moving said printing member lengthwise in a direction parallel to said axis,

a sensing device,

said printing member having an extension connecting said actuating portion to said sensing device,

said extension being ineffective to move overlying ones of said sections into printing engagement with said record medium,

means on each of said sectors effective when a said sector has moved from its said initial position to arrest said sensing device whereby to locate said actuating portion of said printing member under those arcuate sections across which said sensing device has not moved, and

means for moving said printing member outwardly from said axis through said printing stroke.

2. A data printer as defined in claim 1 wherein said arcuate sections have detent formations thereon engageable by said printing member.

3. A data printer as defined in claim 1 wherein said actuating portion of said printing member is cylindrical and said arcuate sections have concave detenting formations engageable by said arcuate portion.

4. A data printer comprising I a plurality of sectors arranged side-by-side and independently pivotal about a common axis,

arcuate sections carried by said sectors,

said arcuate sections being yieldable outwardly from said axis,

type characters spaced along the outer periphery of each of said arcuate sections,

a printing platen,

means for guiding a record medium intermediate said printing platen and said arcuate sections,

means for differentially advancing one or more of said sectors about said axis from initial positions whereby to present certain of said type characters to a printing line,

support means at opposite ends of said plurality of sectors,

said support means having guide bearings extending radially from said axis,

an elongate cylindrical printing member extending under said arcuate sections and parallel to said axis,

said member being slideable transversely and endwise in said bearings,

said member having actuating and nonactuating portions spaced longitudinally thereon and a sensing element intermediate said actuating and nonactuating portions;

said actuating portion normally extending under all of said arcuate sections,

means for yieldably moving said member endwise,

means on each of said sections effective when a said section has moved from its said initial position to arrest said sensing element whereby to locate said actuating portion of said member under those actuating sections across which said sensing device has not moved, and

means for thereafter moving said printing member outwardly through a printing stroke along said bearings whereby to cause said actuating portion to move overlying ones of said arcuate sections outwardly to impress said record medium against said printing platen. 

1. A data prInter comprising a plurality of sectors arranged side-by-side and independently pivotal about a common axis, arcuate sections carried by said sectors, said arcuate sections being yieldable outwardly from said axis, type characters spaced along the outer periphery of each of said arcuate sections, a printing platen, means for guiding a record medium intermediate said printing platen and said sections, means for differentially advancing one or more of said sectors about said axis from initial positions whereby to present certain of said type characters to a printing line, an elongate printing member extending under said arcuate sections and parallel to said axis, said printing member having an actuating portion normally under all of said arcuate sections, said printing member being movable outwardly from said axis through a printing stroke whereby to cause said actuating portion to move overlying ones of said sections outwardly into printing engagement with said record medium, means for moving said printing member lengthwise in a direction parallel to said axis, a sensing device, said printing member having an extension connecting said actuating portion to said sensing device, said extension being ineffective to move overlying ones of said sections into printing engagement with said record medium, means on each of said sectors effective when a said sector has moved from its said initial position to arrest said sensing device whereby to locate said actuating portion of said printing member under those arcuate sections across which said sensing device has not moved, and means for moving said printing member outwardly from said axis through said printing stroke.
 1. A data prInter comprising a plurality of sectors arranged side-by-side and independently pivotal about a common axis, arcuate sections carried by said sectors, said arcuate sections being yieldable outwardly from said axis, type characters spaced along the outer periphery of each of said arcuate sections, a printing platen, means for guiding a record medium intermediate said printing platen and said sections, means for differentially advancing one or more of said sectors about said axis from initial positions whereby to present certain of said type characters to a printing line, an elongate printing member extending under said arcuate sections and parallel to said axis, said printing member having an actuating portion normally under all of said arcuate sections, said printing member being movable outwardly from said axis through a printing stroke whereby to cause said actuating portion to move overlying ones of said sections outwardly into printing engagement with said record medium, means for moving said printing member lengthwise in a direction parallel to said axis, a sensing device, said printing member having an extension connecting said actuating portion to said sensing device, said extension being ineffective to move overlying ones of said sections into printing engagement with said record medium, means on each of said sectors effective when a said sector has moved from its said initial position to arrest said sensing device whereby to locate said actuating portion of said printing member under those arcuate sections across which said sensing device has not moved, and means for moving said printing member outwardly from said axis through said printing stroke.
 2. A data printer as defined in claim 1 wherein said arcuate sections have detent formations thereon engageable by said printing member.
 3. A data printer as defined in claim 1 wherein said actuating portion of said printing member is cylindrical and said arcuate sections have concave detenting formations engageable by said arcuate portion. 